Misguided Ghosts
by BikerChick101
Summary: Future fic... NJBC. Life on the Upper East Side is never boring and when Serena's husband goes missing it's about to get a little more interesting...
1. Chapter 1

"Serena," Blair called as she got through the front door, she rushed up to where her best friend was and enveloped her in a hug she looked like she needed. "I'm here sweetie," she whispered stroking her friends' hair as Serena put her cheek on Blair's shoulder.

"B you came," Serena said and Blair smiled at Serena's surprise by her appearance. "I'm so glad you're here."

"Of course I came, we may have been living on a different part of the world S but you know I'd come if you called, we're still sisters," Blair said squeezing her tighter knowing the blond needed the extra comfort.

"Sister in law," Serena reminded as she pulled away and Blair rolled her eyes, they were sisters first. "Speaking of where is my dear brother?"

"Where do you think he is?" Blair said sighing and Serena's face changed for a second but she shook of the heartache before Blair could comment. "He'll be here as soon as he can, he just has a few things to set up before he comes."

"Is everything ok?" Serena asked eyeing her best friend, she didn't think they were having problems but Blair was never one to look frustrated when she spoke about Chuck if something wasn't wrong.

"Yeah you know, we're just … stressed about this," she said then she looked at Serena carefully, noticing the way her best friend was trying to keep herself from falling apart. Blair softened her voice and asked lightly, "How are you doing?"

Serena bit her bottom lip and shook her head 'not good', closing her eyes so she could stop the tears from escaping, Blair held her tightly, let her bury her face into Blair's shoulder and soothed her broken best friend until Lily came in, she greeted Blair and then turned her attention to her daughter.

"Sweetheart, you need to sleep this isn't good for you, come on," she said brushing Serena's hair out of her face trying to usher Serena away from the foyer and into the passage that would lead them to her room.

"She's right S, you look like you haven't slept in days," she said and Serena sighed, wiped her dry eyes and straightened her back.

"I'm ok," she said acting as if she hadn't just come so close to breaking down, Blair and Lily shared a worried look. "Lets go to the other room we can have tea or something."

"She's been like this for the past few days, started the day we got the news," Lily told Blair as they walked to the next room that Serena was already in. "Breaks down and as soon as she realises there are other people around she steels herself to us again, acts like her grandmother, always the social queen."

"How is Cece?" Blair asks.

"She's been better but she's also been worse so we're just happy she's still with us, we're taking it one day at a time," Lily explained and Blair nodded, Cece had been sick in the previous few months, they didn't think she'd make it. "If this goes on for too long then I'm going to have to fly her in, she wants to be closer to Serena."

"And Erik, where is he?" Blair asked because if anyone can get through to Serena it was her little brother.

"Charles called earlier and asked Erik to meet him in Australia, they said they will fly back as soon as they're done," Lily said and Blair nodded. Chuck hadn't mentioned Erik meeting him but she knew they'd be here soon, or at least she hoped they would.

"Has Serena slept yet?" Blair asked as they watched her bend down next to an older woman then walk to the other side of the room to get herself and the woman tea.

"Not since … well two days ago, I don't think she's had the time," Lily said. "I've offered to help with things so she can get sleep but I think she just needs to keep busy, once she slows down she breaks down and I don't know which one's worse right now." Blair was about to protest when Lily cut her off, "I know she needs to rest but think about it, she can't afford to lose sleep in case we hear something."

Blair nodded, "Well Serena always was as stubborn as the rest of us, if not worse," she said.

"She never listened to anyone," Lily agreed as they watched Serena dance around the lounge before walking into the kitchen.

"Where's the staff?" Blair asked noticing for the first time that the huge old house was too empty, especially for Serena. The last time she was here people were everywhere, it was chaos but Serena loved it, the bustle of people around her, she hated feeling alone in that huge house.

"She sent them away, they wanted to stay but she told them to take a paid holiday, she's doing all the cooking, cleaning, everything, the only person here is Larisa and that's only because I insisted she come," Lily said as she watched Serena walk back in and wipe her wet hands on the dish cloth before putting it back on the table.

Serena smoothed her hair back with her hands, securing the long waves in a messy bun. She looked around and caught their eye motioning for them to sit down as she got them two cups of tea. Ever since Serena became a van der Bilt she became tamer, more like someone her mother and grandmother always hoped she'd become, she'd finally settled but she was still the same crazy girl they all grew up with at heart.

"You becoming very domestic S," Blair said sitting down and Serena smiled sadly a silent apology for being so distant and a plea for Blair to understand that she can't be open with her just yet. She only remembered that there was another woman in the room only when Serena took a seat next to her after setting the tray down on front of Blair and Lily.

It took Blair's tired and stressed mind a moment to recognise the woman as Serena's mother in law, she looked like Serena did, her eyes were downcast and she looked disassembled, not like the always perfect lady Blair was used to seeing. She was cradling something in her arms, it took Blair another second to realise the baby in her arms was Serena's two year old daughter and her and Chuck's god daughter, Summer Charlotte van der Bilt. She'd seen the child a few months before for her second birthday, she and Serena were still close but after marriage and children they lived on different parts of the world and didn't see each other as much as they'd like, she in Paris and Serena still in New York. Blair's own daughter, Audrey was almost three years old, born a few months before Summer and she was staying with Blair's father in Paris while she and Chuck help Serena get through this ordeal.

"This isn't a funeral house," Serena said and Blair could see the word _yet_ was what she was trying not to think, "Can we not be so quiet? Please," Serena asked quietly nervously fidgeting with her fingers.

Summer started fussing and she took the baby and hugged her tight, keeping her as close as possible, not wanting to let her go. Blair stared at her best friend as the older woman started speaking for the sole purpose of making noise, she thought this was what Serena was doing now, keeping Summer as close to her as possible to make up for their loss, letting her child never feel alone.

Serena rocked the little girl quietly and listened to them speak about anything. Once the baby calmed down and went back to sleep Serena bit her lip and looked up at Blair apologetically, knowing Blair expected more of an answer then what Serena was giving her. Blair assumed this was what her best friend had been doing in the past few days, take care of the baby, clean, cook and keep as busy as possible as she waited for news, getting more disappointed and depressed as the hours past and they had yet to find her missing husband.

There was a bunch of photo's on the wall, her and Serena on their first day of school, missing teeth and new clothes, both their wedding pictures, a picture of the day Summer was born, a bundle of pink blankets in Serena's arms on the hospital bed, Summers second birthday being the latest photo with them, her family and Serena's, Summer held high on her dads shoulder, her short wavy light blond hair against her fathers darker head. Audrey was up there in her own frame next to a picture of Summer, their two girls destined to be best friends like they were. Serena was her godmother and Blair knew if anything had to happen to her and Chuck, their daughter would be raised by the best people she knew.

To Blair it felt like forever but the look on Serena's face told her that the past few hours past like minutes in her distant mind. The door opened and Serena immediately stood up with Summer having been fed and changed, asleep again in her arms. Serena's face dropped, hope draining from her eyes as soon as she saw Chuck and Erik enter before the doors closed revealing no-one else was with them.

"Hey, what's going on?" Serena asked holding Summer close to her. The baby whimpered in Serena's arms as if she knew her mother wasn't going to like what her brothers were going to say to her and Serena closed her eyes and took a deep breath, like she was sure it was bad news before anyone else spoke. Blair wondered if she'd been relying on her baby's instincts to tell her whether her husband was found or not, she was actually surprised that the child was so in tune with everyone's emotions but she'd read somewhere that children are more intuitive than adults were.

"Nothing yet S, I'm sorry," Erik said giving her a hug before taking the baby and sitting next to his mother, Serena just nodded not even looking at him, her arms going limp when he took Summer out of them. Summer woke when she was moved but went back to sleep when she saw her uncles face. Chuck kissed Blair before moving toward Serena. Out of the corner of her eye Blair saw Serena's mother in law put her head in her hands, she wondered where the woman's husband, or ex-husband was, wondered if he even knew his son was missing, she wondered if he really cared.

"Hey sis," Chuck said walking up to Serena and kissing her forehead before letting her fall into his arms, holding her as best he could as she started to cry. Chuck himself looked defeated and tired, stressed in a way Blair wasn't used to even after being married to him for four years and knowing him for so long before that. Chuck and Serena were extremely close, like Blair he would do anything for her and aiding in the search for her missing husband so vigorously was no exception, even though Blair knew Chuck would have done it whether Serena was involved or not.

As she watched the step siblings embrace, Blair figured she'd been wrong all along the person her best friend needed, it wasn't herself or Erik, it was the man holding her tightly right now, the man she was gripping to keep herself from doing more than a little crying in front of her already too sensitive daughter. Chuck, her husband's best friend, the only person as close to or closer to Nathaniel van der Bilt then Serena herself was.

* * *

><p><strong>AN Hey guys I'm back and yes I know this was one wierd chapter, I promise everything will be explained as the chapters go by. The hardest part of this story was finding a name so if the name doesnt fit with the story ooooops lol**

**So this was one random idea that came to me while writing the end of "I'll never leave you alone" and I had to come up with a suitable storyline before posting but I hope you guys enjoy this. Its not like anything I've ever done before and I am going to make it short , I'm not too sure about this story so if you guys dont like it I'll take it down until I can write it properly.**

**The characters may not fit the show because this is a future fic so they are more mature and somewhat different so please understand.**

**Ok this Authors note has taken a life of its own hehe, review tell me what you think and I'll update as soon as I have the next chapter ready. The first few chapters are mainly from Blairs point of view I dont know if I'll keep it like that though.**

**I dont own Gossip girl**


	2. Chapter 2

Blair woke up when her bed moved, she stretched her arms out grabbing Chuck's hand before he could get out of bed pulling him back in. "Do you have to go so early?"

"You know I do," he said kissing her forehead as she opened her eye's.

"Doesn't mean I have to like it," she said and he smirked.

"Erik and I wanted to get an early start," he said squeezing her arms lightly. "That doesn't mean you had to get up as well."

"You move a lot when you get out of bed, I can't help it," she said smiling up at him.

"Sorry, I'll try to be stealthier next time," he said bring one of her hands to his lips.

"I'll still feel it, I know when you're not around," she said turning her face into his chest.

"You always did," he said chuckling. "Don't worry we'll be home early, hopefully with Nathaniel."

Blair leaned up for a kiss and watched as he got out of bed and headed into the bath, she knew this thing with Nate was harder for him. Nate had always been the bigger part of Chuck's life then most people realised, his best friend, the only person that saw who Chuck was, who accepted Chuck with his flaws and didn't judge him. She was guilty of doing that before she really got to know him as something more than her scheming partner. He and Nate barely spoke like they used to but Chuck always had the knowledge that he could pick up the phone and Nate would answer, now when he dialled the number it went straight to voicemail, to a reminder that Nate was missing.

Blair woke up nearly an hour after Chuck left and as she made her way down to the kitchen she past Serena's room, she couldn't help but sneak in to see how her best friend was doing, the night before Serena was so exhausted that after breaking down in Chuck's arms she finally got the sleep they all knew she needed. When Blair walked into the room however she was awake, already dressed for the day in a slim fitting dress, pulled back hair and pearl jewellery their mothers used to wear. She was sitting on the bed playing with Summer, the little girl had a book in her hands and was pointing to the picture trying to pronounce the words her mother was reading to her.

"Hi," Blair said standing at the doorway so as not to intrude in the family moment. Serena looked up at her and smiled, patted the space on the bed next to her and waited for her to climb onto the bed before continuing reading to her daughter.

When Summer turned her attention away from the book and on to one of her dolls Serena turned to Blair and leaned her head on her shoulder. "I miss him," she said and Blair's heart ached for her best friend.

"I know sweetie," Blair whispered watching Serena's perfectly made-up face for any signs of another breakdown. When Serena didn't even respond she asked "Why are you so dressed up?"

"I'm meeting Anne and my mom for lunch we have to discuss what to tell the press," she said quietly watching her daughter crawl to the end of the bed to find her dolls hairbrush. "People are asking questions, they can't understand how the van der Bilt heir disappeared and so close to his estranged fathers wedding, they started with news blasts this morning."

"His fathers getting married?" Blair asked raising an eyebrow, Chuck usually told her these things.

"Yeah she's well known in Australia and Nate was there for the wedding when he disappeared," Serena said keeping her eye's fixed on Summer. "He was going to come home."

"So he and his father are on good terms?" Blair asked.

"He agreed to be there, it's a start," Serena said. "I think his father upset him again though because he didn't want to be any part of it anymore."

"I remember before you got married," Blair mused.

"Nate didn't even want him in the same continent," Serena smiled. "It got better once he stopped the drugs, he was at the wedding and we even let him see Summer every once in a while, they were back on good terms I don't know what changed Nate's mind."

"Do you think he's back on drugs?" Blair asked.

"I don't know but it's possible, he would've told me that," Serena said. "I should get her ready."

Blair watched Serena pick out Summers clothes and take the baby into the bathroom to get ready for lunch with her grandmothers.

Blair made herself and Serena coffee and took it to the main room that Serena was just walking into with the tiny two year old in front of her looking every bit like Serena and Nate's daughter should, soft light blond locks, bright blue eyes and a tiny dimple in her chubby cheek. Serena dressed her in a simple white knee length dress, stockings and black pumps.

Blair watched Nate and Serena's little girl run around the room, watched Serena take a deep breath in and answer her phone, the hard woman speaking to her mother in law through the phone was a shadow of the free girl from a few weeks ago when Blair spoke to her. Not to intrude Blair watched the child and was reminded of Audrey, she missed her daughter so much. Chuck wanted to keep her away from the emotional torment of their home town but she wanted the three year old to be exposed to this life so when they move back it won't take her by surprise.

Summer picked up a frame from the coffee table in front of her and went to Blair with it. "You," she said pointing to the brunette in the picture that was definitely her. Blair smiled at Summer and the little girl took that as a clue to continue. "Ma," she said pointing to Serena's face and bright smile. Serena turned when she heard her daughter but when she realized what she was doing and that Blair had the baby she continued on the phone.

"Very good," Blair said congratulating the child on picking them out in the photo, it was of the four of them during their Columbia days. "Who's that sweetie?" she asked pointing to Chuck.

The little girls eye's lit up in recognition but then she frowned when she tried to say the name, "Uck," she said and huffed knowing it wasn't the right way to pronounce it. "Uck," she said again.

"Yeah Summ that's ... Uck," Blair smiled, she'd tease Chuck about his new nickname as soon as he got back.

"Dada," Summer said forgetting about pronouncing Chucks name and pointing to the last person in the frame, the one with his arms wrapped tight around her mother. Blair smiled at the baby and looked up worriedly as Serena froze, whispering a quick bye to Anne as the phone slid from her hands and stared at them. Summer cooed a little more then looked up at her mom and pointed again to Nate, "Da."

"Yeah baby, daddy," Serena said tears in her eyes as she bent down to scoop her baby girl up in her arms and hug her close. Summer hugged her mom then started squirming in her arms to be set down. "He's not supposed to be gone," Serena said sitting down next to Blair and putting her face in her hands.

Blair held her fragile best friend and hoped to God that where ever Nate was, he was safe. Summer looked oblivious to her mothers pain but Blair knew the child felt it worse then anyone else did. "What did Anne want?"

"She said something came up and rescheduled for tomorrow," Serena said squeezing her eye's tight before opening them to watch her daughter twirl in front of her and giggle at the dress when it flowed with her. "She'll probably come here later to discuss everything."

"Ok then you have nothing to worry about, they will find Nate before you have to deal with the press and he will be perfect and everything will go back to normal," Blair said hoping her friend could have the hope that she needs for this.

"But you don't promise," Serena said softly. Summer stopped spinning and sat on the floor trying to shake the dizziness from her head.

"What?" Blair asked not understanding what Serena wanted from her.

"When you know something's going to work out, when you believe it yourself you promise me it's going to be ok," Serena said and then she looked up at Blair. "You didn't promise."

Blair shook her head she didn't know half of the things her best friend might be feeling but she wishes she could take the pain away. Her promises meant more to Serena then a lot of other things did and she didn't realize it until that moment. "Sweetie I wish I could promise you that Nate will be home safe but I don't know, I really don't," Blair said holding Serena to her and shedding a few tears of her own.

"Dada," Summer squealed running to the opening door.

"Summer," Serena called running after the baby in her heals. "Summer baby come here, that's not daddy."

Dan Humphrey walked into the room and hugged his niece who scrunched her nose up frustrated with all the people coming to her house that were not her father, "I could've been but I'm not," he said shooting a look at Serena that Blair raised an eyebrow to."He'll be home soon, ok?"

Summer nodded as Dan hugged Serena and handed her over to her mother. Blair looked from Dan to Serena and sensed the tension, she was about to comment when Lily came rushing in.

"Gama," Summer called when she saw Lily.

"I'm so sorry Serena, I was running late so I asked Dan to bring me over," she said. "Hey Summer, Grandma's going to take you out shopping for a bit, we can go for ice-cream, how's that sound?" Summer nodded at her grandmother giving her permission to take her away.

"So I take it Anne called you as well?" Serena asked as Larisa handed Lily Summer's jacket.

"Yes she did and we both think you need some time without Summer," Lily said sternly taking the little girl from her daughter and Serena sighed and nodded her head.

"Bye baby, have fun with grandma ok?" Serena asked smoothing the baby's hair and kissing her cheek then she turned to her mother. "Not too much sugar mom."

"Whatever you say, I will spoil my granddaughter as I please isn't that right Summ," Lily asked and the baby giggled waving to her mom and aunt as Lily walked out with her and Dan but not before Dan looked back smugly at Serena one last time.

Serena turned to Blair and shook her head at her questioning face. "You don't want to know," Serena said wrapping her arms around her body.

"Oh no Serena that's where you're wrong," Blair said angrily. "Please tell me that while Nate is _missing_ you and Dan are not going behind his back."

"No!" Serena screamed. "Of course not."

"S things between you and Dan have been weird for a while, don't think I didn't notice when we all got together," Blair said in a low voice. "I know Nate noticed S, he isn't as blind as you think he is, he pays more attention to you then anyone else ever has, so tell me what happened."

"B you have to know that I love Nate," Serena said her voice breaking slightly as she spoke and Blair glared at her making her flinch.

"When?" she asked, her eyes burning into Serena wanting the truth.

"It was before I found out I was pregnant," Serena said looking away from her best friend and down at her fingers, Blair took a deep breath.

"Is Summer Nate's daughter Serena?" Blair asked through clenched teeth, she was so angry at her best friend but she was keeping it in because she knew her friend was more then broken up about Nate being gone. If Summer wasn't Nate's daughter it will destroy all of them, she worried more for her god daughter then anyone else. "Answer me!"

* * *

><p><strong>AN : Ok so thank you so much for the reviews guys, this story wasnt supposed to be put up but I thought what the hell it's been a while since I've had any insperation at all, I started so many fics but none of them have proper endings, I need to get back into this ...**

**I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter, It was prewritten and I didnt have dialogue in the beggining between Blair and Chuck but since City Lights Agleam requested it I managed to add some, in future chapters there is more CB interaction but this is primarily an NS fic so I apologise if I dont write them too well**

**There was some confusion about Nate's surname, no I didnt make a mistake and yes it will all be explained in the next chapter or the one after that so sorry about that**

**Please review and tell me what you think, I really appriciate it when you take the time to give me feedback**

**Until next time (^^,)**


	3. Chapter 3

"Answer me Serena," Blair said again in a calmer voice. "Is Summer Nate or Dan's daughter?"

"Of course she's Nate's B," Serena said biting down hard on her lip, reaching back to rip the grips that held her hair back out of her hair.

"What were you thinking?" Blair asked her. "Are you absolutely sure that she's Nate's?"

"I wasn't thinking B, it just happened," Serena said. "Before you go and have a DNA test done she's Nate's baby, I checked, Dan wanted proof."

"And you didn't want proof?" Blair asked incredulously.

"I didn't need it," Serena said her voice breaking and tears forming in her already red eyes. Blair took a deep breath and looked at her. "I carried her to term and what happened with Dan was already like a month into my pregnancy.

"How did this happen S? You weren't even married a year," Blair asked softly sitting down and making Serena sit next to her.

"We were happy, Nate was perfect and then Grandfather died," Serena said closing her eyes and losing herself in the memory from years before. "It was a stressful time, he was such a huge influence on Nate's life and with the funeral and Anne needing Nate to do things, I was alone a lot."

"Serena," Blair started but Serena cut her off.

"After Tripp messed up again and proved himself irresponsible and Nate changed his surname, Grandfather made Nate the _sole_ van der Bilt heir, everything went to him, the money, the houses and the responsibility, being the head of the family, it all just fell to him," Serena said closing her eyes. "He was so busy all the time, there was nothing for me to do except stand by and watch as he burnt out."

"How does Dan fit into this?" Blair asked.

"My family came over for dinner to keep me company because Nate wasn't there so we talked and laughed and relaxed and they left but Dan stayed and he made me feel wanted for the first time in such a long time and I just needed that B, I really did," Serena said squeezing her eyes shut tighter. "I woke up the next morning and I was next to the wrong man, Nate was gone and Dan was there and two weeks later I was told that I was pregnant."

"How could you not know you were pregnant S?" Blair asked and Serena shook her head.

"I wasn't paying attention to anything besides helping Nate," Serena said, tears streaming down her face now.

"Did it happen again?" Blair asked making sure she covered all angles of the situation.

"No, I'd never do that to Nate again B," Serena said, looking at Blair incredulously. "It's just, everything was falling apart including Nate and I and I wanted to hurt him before he hurt me. I pulled a classic teenage Serena van der Woodsen move and I regret it."

"You haven't been that Serena for a long time, I thought you let go of that side of you. Why didn't you tell me?" Blair asked softly putting her arm around Serena.

"I knew you'd react like this," Serena said in a strangled voice. "I didn't want you to hate me."

"Serena I could never hate you," Blair said. "Why is everything still tense with Dan? I mean this happened years ago and he's married now."

"I don't know, he just … you remember how Chuck was before you?" Serena asked and Blair nodded. "Well he's kinda like that, he's normal at times like the Dan we knew from high school."

"And sometimes he's an ass, waiting in the sidelines just to make you uncomfortable," Blair said and Serena nodded.

"Something like that," Serena said.

"S who else knows about that night," Blair asked.

"Me, Dan, the doctor who did the test and now you," Serena said and Blair nodded carefully.

"Are you going to be ok?" she finally asked and Serena took a deep breath and gave Blair a small smile.

"I will be as soon as they find Nate, I don't know what to do without him," Serena said running a hand through her hair.

"If something has happened to Nate, you will be fine without him," Blair told her. "You have me and Chuck and Audrey."

"How is our little Audball," Serena asked with a tiny smile when she thought about her niece.

Blair rolled her eyes at Nate's name for her daughter which she didn't like but Audrey simply loved it, anything her uncle said was genius to her. "Audrey is fine, she's with daddy and Roman right now until I get back."

"When are you guys moving back, before he left Nate was so excited that you guys were moving back home," Serena said.

"I know Chuck told him first," Blair said rolling her eyes. "We were meant to come back at the end of this month but with everything happening with Nate I think we may postpone that until he's found."

"No, I need you here either way so do whatever as planned," Serena said and Blair nodded.

"Ok and Serena, you need to tell Nate as soon as he comes back," Blair said. "He needs to know what you did and how you felt, you have to tell him and let him get angry at you and forgive you so you can forgive yourself."

Serena nodded and took a shaky breath. She missed Blair's guiding advice and tough love.

Blair gave Serena a hug and sent her to the room to get some rest after their conversation, she was trying to wrap her head around everything Serena told her. She wondered if her husband knew about Serena and Dan, she remembers something that he told her during that time about Nate being uncertain about his life and marriage but then they found out about Serena's pregnancy and everything seemed to go back to normal. When Summer was born there wasn't a doubt in Nate's mind about anything anymore, she made the world make sense to him again, the little girl he held in his arms meant everything to him and there was nothing he wouldn't do for her.

Blair closed her phone, it had been an exhausting hour trying to explain to her daughter why they were 'on holiday' without her. Blair finally got her father to distract the little girl with sweets and promises of shopping and the funfair. She looked around the empty house and sighed, it was so quiet save for Larisa bustling around in the kitchen getting dinner ready. She got Serena to sleep after their talk and she hadn't woken up yet, she was so tired Blair wouldn't be surprised if she only woke up the next morning.

The main door creaked open and Blair watched as Larisa walked bristly to it, Lily handed the maid Summer's jacket and walked into the house with the sleeping baby in her arms. "Where's Serena?" Lily asked as she walked with Summer to where Blair was standing.

"She's finally asleep," Blair said quietly.

"Ok I need to rush, Rufus just called, Jenny has something exciting she wants to share with the family," Lily said and Blair raised an eyebrow.

"Now, really? When half her family is trying to keep themselves together after Nate's disappearance," Blair said angrily putting out her hands so she could take Summer from Lily.

"Sometimes we need some good news," Lily said placing the sleeping child into Blair's waiting arms. Blair sighed, she and Jenny actually tolerated each other nowadays, they were all somewhat family and Dan was more of a friend to her then he was in previous years, until now. "How's my other grand-daughter?"

"As perfect as ever, she wants to be here as well but we'd rather keep her out of the drama for a while," Blair said still annoyed with Jenny and Dan but it was wearing off.

"We should have done that for Summer too," Lily said brushing a few locks of hair off the little girls face. "Erik called, they should be back soon, I'd better go."

Blair nodded as Lily waved goodbye and rushed to the car waiting for her outside. Blair adjusted the two year old in her arms carrying her to her room to let her sleep as peacefully as Blair hoped Serena was. She just put Summer down when the door opened again and Chuck and Erik's voices came floating up to her.

"Where's Serena?" Erik asked as she walked down the stairs to greet them with a finger to her lips asking them to be quiet.

"Sleeping, it's been a long day even Summer's curled up in her bed fast asleep," Blair explained and they nodded. Erik went up to check on his sister and change so Blair turned to Chuck and studied him. "I phoned Audrey today."

Chuck's eyes lit up at the mention of his daughter, "How is she doing?"

"If you bothered to call and check you'd know," Blair snapped and Chuck gave her a tired look, she sighed. "She's doing ok, but she wants to be were we are Chuck."

"Do you want me to bring her here, to this madhouse of emotions?" Chuck asked her.

"She's going to be dealing with these emotions soon enough," Blair argued. "We can't just keep her locked up in daddy's chateau every time we think she won't be able to handle it, I will not make my daughter weak."

"She'll never be weak Blair look at who her parents are," Chuck said.

"If we never let her experience this she's never going to be able to handle it," Blair said. "We are too protective."

"She's not even three yet," Chuck said.

"Summer's barely two and she's dealing with it," Blair said trying not to raise her voice. "I want you to bring her here Chuck, I miss my daughter."

"Fine, tomorrow I'll get her," Chuck said giving in, he didn't want to fight with Blair especially not now neither did he want his daughter here but he figured if she was here it would ease Blair's worries just a little.

"Thank you," Blair said breathing a sigh of relief. "How's the situation with Nate?"

"Not good, it's been three days Blair, no trace of him, no ransom letter no video no clues, it's like he just vanished," Chuck said rubbing his temples.

"You don't think he'd stage something like this to escape the pressure after everything his grandfather left him to do," Blair said trying to ease her husbands stress.

"And leave Serena?" Chuck asked. If there was one thing Nate did it was love Serena and leaving her was not an option especially not with all the stress he couldn't handle.

"True he'd have taken her as well if he wanted to do that," Blair said. When she looked up she saw Serena she looked like she walked into the end of the conversation. "I'm going to phone daddy and tell him you'll pick Audrey up tomorrow."

"Hey sis," Chuck said looking up when Blair left them. Serena walked to him slowly and sat down.

"So how much hope should I have?" she asked taking a deep breath and making herself normal.

"As much as you want, we'll find him you know we will," Chuck told her. "I have my guys and Nate's working on this but I don't know where to start."

"Start with the people always around him," Serena said. "They have to know what happened, he phoned me to say he's coming home and that's the last I heard."

"I thought he was there with his father till next week," Chuck said looking at her.

"He was but he didn't want to be," Serena said shrugging.

"So maybe the person I should be looking at is his father," Chuck said.

"You don't think he would do anything?" Serena asked.

"Nathaniel didn't agree with what his dad was doing, there's your first motive," Chuck said.

"What other motives could there be?"

"How about the fact that you are Serena van der Bilt not Archibald, Nate refused to take his fathers name back even after they began speaking again," Chuck said, Nate and his father were not on the best of terms until just before he got married. Nate took his mothers maiden name when he didn't want to be associated with the Archibald name or his father anymore, the only link was Summer's middle name, Charlotte, being his paternal grandmother's first name. "Question is, why go to such extremes?"

* * *

><p><strong>AN ok so thats chapter three lol it was kinda hard to get everything together because this story is not like anything I've ever written before and it's actually kinda scary to write hehe**

**Thank you to everyone who has reviewed and especially MarkandLexiefan for dealing with my randomness yesterday hehe**

**I only watched the final episode of Gossip Girl season 4 today and my heart broke for Chuck and Blair, it was just so sad how he let her go! I loved Nate and Chuck's final scene and yey Serena didnt choose between Nate and Dan and Dan is more heartbroken over Blair then anything else which means so much more for NS :D**

**Hope you guys enjoyed this, please review (^^,)**


	4. Chapter 4

"Blair, Serena," Chuck called as he walked into the van der Bilt town house.

"Aud," Serena squealed when she saw who her brother had with him. She ran to them and hugged her god daughter. "How are you?"

Audrey had Blair's brown hair, little curls that bounced when she did, Chuck's dark eyes that made her mysterious and her aunt's enthusiasm for life, Blair had once been like that and it faded as she found more devious ways to get what she wanted. She knew Audrey would be a very powerful woman someday with the intelligence and power that her parents possessed to make anyone crumble at her feet.

"Great," Audrey said showing her aunt thumbs up and then going into a full out story about something that happened at 'Grandpa's', Serena and Chuck watched her amused as they tried to follow what the little girl was saying making comments and noises at all the right places as she explained what happened. "Where's mommy?" she finally asked when she was done.

"Right here sweetheart," Blair said picking Audrey up and silently thanking Chuck. "Let's go say hi to Summer, while daddy and Aunt Serena talk."

"Where's Uncle Nate?" she asked bunching up her words and looking around, Serena tensed and Blair walked out of hearing range before Serena had a chance to hear what she was telling the little girl.

"So I spoke to Howard Archibald today," Chuck said pouring himself a drink.

"Does he know anything?" Serena asked.

"No," Chuck said. "All he knows is that Nathaniel was coming home, the plane was ready to leave but he was no where to be found."

"Does he know why Nate left?" Serena asked, Nate didn't tell her and she assumed he would as soon as he got home.

"His father was marrying this woman for her money only," Chuck said. "He really feels nothing for her."

"So something happened on the way from Nate's dad's place to the airport?" Serena asked knowing Nate would never support his father re-marrying so he could have access to money. "Did you talk to the driver?"

"He was tied up and knocked out in his hotel room," Chuck said as he opened his briefcase.

"I should have went with him, I just thought he would be more at ease if he didnt have to worry about Summer and I being around his dad when he was still so uncomfortable," Serena said sighing.

Chuck nodded and dropped the thick file in front of Serena as Blair walked back into the room. "What's this?" Blair asked wrapping her arms around Chuck's waist and facing Serena.

"It's all the information we've collected since Nathaniel's departure," Chuck explained.

"Where are the girls?" Serena asked Blair.

"Larisa is with them, Audrey's talking to Summer about Paris," Blair said rolling her eyes fondly. "I think it's the same story she told you. You should hear them it all sounds like gibberish to me."

Serena smiled and dropped her eyes to the file. "So what do we know so far?"

"We know that he left his father at approximately 10 in the morning it's a half an hour trip to the airport, the limo did not show up as expected and the tracking device was disconnected," Chuck said and Blair and Serena looked at him confused. "The person or persons responsible for this knew what the hell they were doing."

"Do we know if he's still ... alive?" Serena asked forcing the words out.

"No, all we know is that whoever did this is a trained professional," Chuck said. "There was no sign of struggle or anything to say he even got into the vehicle."

"Why aren't we on Mr Archibald's case?" Blair asked.

"We are, I should get a full report by this afternoon," Chuck told them.

"So what do we do til then?" Serena asked. "I need something, I can't just sit around all day."

Audrey and Summer came running out of the room followed by an out of breath Larisa. Serena nodded to the maid to go back to whatever her mother asked her to do as she picked Summer up. "There's your something," Chuck said picking Audrey up, Blair watched them with a small smile.

Summer ducked her head in her mothers neck and Serena raised an eyebrow, bounced her a little and then shrugged. "I think someone's ready for her nap, call me when you have any news," Serena said walking away from them. She was sure they hadn't spent enough time as a family in a long time and she knew how important that was to Blair.

Serena walked into her room and closed the door, she tried putting Summer down onto the bed but the baby clung to her. Serena sighed and lay down with Summer bundled up in her arms. "What's wrong babydoll?" She asked pulling away so she could look into the baby blue eye's of her two year old.

"I wan daddy," she said pouting and Serena felt like crying right there as she pulled Summer closer to her, seeing Summer like this reminds her of her childhood when her father left and she wanted him to come home, she'd cry to her mother every night and her mother would pat her head and walk back into the kitchen to pour a stronger drink.

"I know baby, I want daddy to come home too," Serena said blowing out a slow breath. "He'll come home soon, we'll make sure of it ok?"

"No now, now," Summer whined finally letting go of Serena and climbing off the bed.

"I can't find him now," Serena whispered sliding down against the bed onto the floor. "Come here Summ," Serena said reaching out to her daughter.

"No, no, wan da," she screamed crossing her arms defiantly and sticking her bottom lip out at Serena.

"Summer," Serena whispered, Summer had never thrown a tantrum before and was a usually quiet child like Nate according to Anne so her outburst scared Serena just a little.

Tears formed in Summer's eye's and before Serena knew it she was crying and lying on the floor banging her little fists against the ground.

Serena slowly moved over to Summer and picked her up and tried to get her to calm down, the baby squirmed in her arms leaning back to get out of her mothers grasp. Serena held her closer and just let the baby cry and scream and get it all out until she was finally exhausted enough to fall asleep.

She put Summer down and lay next to her brushing her fingers through the baby's hair and losing herself in her memories. She thought of Nate, of the first time he found out she was pregnant, she delayed telling him because she was upset about Dan. He wanted to know what she wasn't telling him, if she was sick, she was crying when he knelt down in front of her and took her hands begging her to tell him what was wrong. His eyes were so sad, like he didn't know how much more he could take and her moods weren't helping him because he needed her strength not her tears.

Their marriage seemed to be falling apart and she thought that being pregnant would make it worse but when she told him, when she said words out loud so she could hear her voice confirm it for herself, it was like she could see the light at the end of the tunnel again, like he was standing in that light waiting for her. She remembers how he kissed her like a promise that she'd never feel as neglected as she did when he was away, like he'd never let them go. She remembered the smile he had on his face so clearly like he knew everything would work out, like this baby was the miracle they needed. She wasn't so sure but it turned out that when Summer was born everything went back to how she needed it to be, their little angel made their worlds make sense again, she made 'Serena and Nate' make sense again.

Serena snapped out of her memories when she heard something fall, she could faintly hear Chuck speaking but it was in low hushed tones, she couldn't hear what he was saying. She looked down at her daughter, her hair spilled out around her face and her thumb in her mouth. Serena smoothed the baby's hair back of her face and slowly pulled her thumb out of her mouth, Summer frowned and took a deep breath but then went back to sleep. Serena carefully moved away from Summer and asked Larisa to watch her as she moved downstairs. Chuck was pacing with the phone attached to his ear and a frown on his face, she assumed it was bad news. He noticed her standing there and finished his call.

"Where's Blair and Audrey?" Serena asked looking around the room for her best friend and niece, she noticed the fallen boks but decided not to comment.

"Blair took her to visit Eleanor, she's been wanting to see her granddaughter for weeks now she finally has the chance," Chuck said. "I guess you want to know what's happening?"

Serena nodded, "Have they found anything?"

"They have been in contact with Nate's father," Chuck said, rolling his eyes as he said "They're negotiating with us."

"Isn't that a good thing?" she asked wanting to smile at her step-brothers actions.

"Only if they show any signs of giving in," Chuck clarified for her and she nodded slowly.

"Do we know why they have him?" Serena asked.

"The guys who have him need his father to pay for the stuff he's been taking on credit," Chuck answered.

"He promised Nate he'd stop doing drugs when he wanted to be in our life," Serena said. "We let him spend time with Summer."

"Well he broke that promise and he's in debt," Chuck said. "This wedding was his way out of that debt and Nate's caught in the middle, money for your son."

"So if he doesn't pay these guys what are they going to do with Nate?" Serena asked her body tensing up as she waited for his answer.

"I don't know S, we don't even know if Nathaniel's alive," Chuck said and Serena felt like throwing up. "We just have to trust that they aren't lying when they told us he is."

"Tell them that I'll pay them whatever his dad owes, they just need to let Nate go," she said through tears. "We don't even have to get the authorities involved Chuck, I just want my husband back home."

"I know and I can't guarantee that they'll let Nathaniel go if you do that," Chuck said. "I have no control over this."

"I have to try Chuck, it's Nate," she said, she can't live without him any more then Chuck could, anymore then Summer could.

Chuck nodded, "We'll set up meeting tomorrow," he said as she wiped the tears from her face with a tissue.

"I'm going to meet them?" Serena asked getting afraid.

"No you'll speak to them, through a phone with a number that has been so far non traceable," Chuck said frustrated. "They said they'll phone Howard tomorrow at noon, you can speak to them when they make that call."

"I just need to try," Serena said, if anything she needs to feel like she's doing something to find Nate.

"I know this is Nate but you are under no circumstances going to offer yourself to them if I set this meeting up," Chuck warned and Serena nodded.

"But if I offer them the cash, to get rid of Howards debt so Nate can come back home?" she asked him.

"We can try," Chuck said sighing he didn't know how open to negotiations with the best friend and wife they would be but there's no harm in trying. He also knew that the wedding was a small affair and Howard wasn't backing out anytime soon, in the next few days the man would inherit a lot of money when he has access to his new wife's bank account.

"Have they hurt him yet?" Serena asked in a small voice, she was afraid of the answer.

"A few bruises here and there, nothing he can't handle," Chuck said. "That's all they've told Howard, like I said we have no proof that they're telling the truth, that he's alive or that he's going to be ok, just their word."

"If that's all I have then I'll take it, set it up, let me convince them," Serena said, her tummy was twisting and she was hoping she could do something.

"I have to warn you again, this is dangerous, you promise them anything else and I'm cutting that call, I know the lengths you would go through for Nathaniel but you have a daughter to think about now," Chuck said warning her and she nodded again agreeing to his terms.

* * *

><p><strong>AN Hey guys I hope you enjoyed chapter 4, this dealt mainly with why Nate was taken and his reason for not wanting to be at his fathers wedding and of course Summers little outburst, she cant be an angel all the time :)**

**I get nervous everyime I put a chapter up with this story lol I hope you guys enjoy it... If there is anything incorrect with what I've posted please tell me so I can correct it and feel free to ask questions, I'll answer them as best I can **

**I felt the need to bring Audrey into this story because Blair strikes me as the anti-UES mother lol so she wouldnt want to be away from her daughter for very long periods of time.**

**Urm I can't think of anything else that I wanted to add except please enjoy and review, I love getting feelback on how this story is progressing and if I am on the right track**

**Until next time(^^,)**


	5. Chapter 5

Serena bounces her knee nervously as she waits for Chuck to pick her and Blair up, Summer and Audrey had already been picked up by her mother and Rufus to spend the day at the park with Dan, Jenny and Erik who reluctantly agreed to leave his emotional sister to make his mother happy.

"S would you stop that you're making me nervous," Blair says peeping at Serena from behind her fashion magazine.

"I _am_ nervous B," Serena said blowing out a deep breath.

"Chuck and I will be with you so you shouldn't be nervous," Blair told her.

"I'm more nervous about what they say about Nate, what if something happened to him, what if…"

"Serena stop!" Blair said loudly getting Serena to shut up. She put the magazine down and looked at her best friend. "S he's alive and if you keep going through these scenarios in your mind you are going to kill the both of us."

Serena stops bouncing her knee but she starts fidgeting with her fingers. Blair took a deep breath and pulled her magazine back up in front of her face but kept her eyes on Serena.

Becoming a van der Bilt had changed her but Blair didn't think she'd ever seen Serena happier, she guessed keeping up a royal-like family image was a small price to pay for being welcomed into a part of life Nate had hated yet loved at the same time. Being a van der Bilt and following Grandfathers rules meant always being protected and accepted even if sometimes they could be over-bearing, Nate loved the huge family thing Blair knew, there was a time when she loved the same thing, when she wanted to be exactly where Serena is.

By the time Chuck finally arrived to get them, Serena had changed twice, watered all the plants in the house, called Lily to Check on Summer and she was currently speaking to Larisa about the instructions Lily gave her. Chuck raised an eyebrow at Serena's babble and turned to Blair who shrugged.

"Sis I don't think anyone understands what you're trying to say," Chuck said when Serena asked Larisa if she understood something.

"Chuck! What are you doing here?" Serena screamed rushing over. "Ok well I know why you're here but when did you come?"

"A few minutes ago," Chuck said amused.

"Well why didn't you tell me? Let's go let's go," Serena said grabbing her purse and pulling Blair out of her seat.

"Serena calm down," Blair said pulling her hand out of Serena's and shaking her head at the hyper active blond in front of her.

"You're worse then Audrey and Summer combined," Chuck said watching his sister bouncing into the car.

"You would know," Blair whispered and Chuck shot her a wounded look.

"Lets just get the hyper bunny to the house and we can talk about that when it's all over," Chuck said steering her to the limo.

They finally reached the house that Howard Archibald was staying at until his wedding the next day. Serena was the first one out of the car trying her hardest to not breakdown. Her mind was swirling with different 'what if' moments leading to the worst case scenario's as she waited for Chuck to lead them to were the men who had Nate would call to negotiate.

By the time the phone rang Serena's nerves were shot and she felt heavy and scared, Blair took her hand into her own and Serena managed a small smile to her friend as she heard the voices on the other line speak. They spoke to these people for an hour or more trying to work out some kind of arrangement for them to get the money and for Serena to get Nate back. They didn't budge because they finally figured out how important Nate was and who his family and best friends were. They let Nate speak once just to give them proof that he was alive and Serena felt as if she could go another few days with just the memory of him saying her name, they cut the call with the line "You're letting them slip through your fingers too easily."

"What the hell does that mean? What am I letting slip through my fingers?" Serena asked looking at Blair then she looked up at Chuck to see her brother with a smile on his face.

"I have no idea what that means sis but they were careless this time," he said.

"How so?" Blair asked as everyone in the room turned to him.

"I have a location," he said and Serena's eyes widened.

"Seriously?" she asked like it was unbelievable to fathom that it would be this easy to find Nate.

"Seriously," Chuck confirmed. "It seems whatever was blocking their location before has disappeared along with their luck."

"Oh my God," Serena said letting out a deep breath and almost fainting on Blair.

"Come on let's get out of here, get the girls," Blair said knowing Serena would want to wrap Summer up in her arms and tell her that her father would be coming home soon.

Serena checked her phone as she was coming out of the house and found 32 missed calls from her mother, Erik, Rufus, Dan and even Jenny, she looked over to see Chuck and Blair with the same 'what the hell is going on' expressions on their faces. Serena frowned and called her mother as the limo started to move.

"Mom?" Serena asked when her mother answered. "We're on our way back to the city … Yeah we should be there in 20 minutes … we'll come straight to you … Mom what," she began to ask but the call got cut, Serena looked at the phone in her hand and blinked a few times frowning, Chuck and Blair watched her with worried expressions on their faces.

"What was that about?" Chuck asked.

"I have no idea, she just wanted to know where we were and she said to go to her straight away," Serena said.

"Well we're going to get the girls," Blair said holding Chuck's hand. "I hope they are ok, you know what they can get up to when they're together."

Serena smiled she was on a high, the fact that Chuck had something to work with now meant that they were so much closer to having Nate back then she thought they would by the end of that conversation. She was so excited she was going to get to see Nate again, hold him again and she would tell him everything that's happened and she'll do everything in her power to make him trust her and she'll never ever let anyone come between them, she'll never be weak again.

She practically jumps out of the elevator when they finally reach her mothers apartment and bursts into the main room ready to give everyone the good news when the expression on her little brothers face stops her and makes her smile fall away, everybody turns to look at her looking like they did the day they told her Nate was missing and no-body knew where he was or what to say.

"What happened?" she whispers as Chuck and Blair enter the room.

"Mommy!" Audrey squeals running past her and into Blair's arms, Serena hates to think that she's about to get bad news because her daughter isn't in the room neither is she running out of another room to get to her.

"Serena," Lily says softly wrapping Serena up in her arms. Serena immediately starts to panic because her mother had tears in her eyes and her brother is serious as he's looking at Chuck and Audrey is holding onto Blair too tightly for something not to be wrong.

"Where's Summer?" she asks afraid of the answer, she prays what she's feeling is wrong and her baby is just taking a nap in the other room, never in any of her worst case scenario's did it include Summer being taken away from her.

"Serena listen to me," Lily says pulling away and holding Serena's shoulders.

"No mom where's my daughter?" she asks again, louder, tears forming in her eyes because she knows that whatever went wrong that afternoon has something to do with Summer not smiling up at her right now.

"I don't know," Lily whispers and Serena sinks to the ground, she can't see or feel anyone around her anymore, they're all talking she can hear them but it sound's like gibberish to her, first Nate, now Summer. Her head starts to spin and she doesn't know what she's going to do.

"Serena we were watching the girls," Rufus tries and her eyes snap up to him abruptly, her mouth is hanging open and she doesn't want to believe that her daughter is gone. "We took our eye's off them for a second and Summer was gone."

Now that someone's said it out loud it's real, her husband and her daughter are officially missing. She feels like throwing up her stomach is twisting and she doesn't know if she'll ever stop crying, her heart is breaking all over again and she thinks she may lose her mind. She doesn't care who she hurts when she starts to scream accusations at everyone, screams at her mother and Rufus for not keeping a proper eye on their granddaughter. Dan, Jenny and Erik are next for only caring about themselves, she just knows that someone needs to feel guilty for letting her two year old, her _two year old_ baby girl out of their sight.

Blair took Audrey out of the room before her breakdown started and Chuck drags her into her old room before she got violent. She bangs her balled up fists against Chuck's chest a few times before a new wave of tears take over, she ends up screaming incoherent things at him as well before storming out of the apartment. Chuck was worried but he knew she needed to calm down and he had people watching her very carefully like he should have had watching Summer. He walked out of the room after taking a few deep breaths to face the people his sister would probably never really trust with anything again.

"Someone has to know what happened," he said when he walked back into the room. Lily's eyes are red as she leans into Rufus' embrace and Dan, Jenny and Erik are sitting on the couch looking defeated.

"I left for a minute to get the girls ice-cream," Erik said taking a deep breath and looking like he was about to cry.

"We were watching them and a man came to our table and asked us questions for some survey he was doing and somewhere between him asking us questions and us watching the girls, someone took Summer," Dan said rubbing his forehead.

"And you didn't think to keep your eyes on the little girls the whole time? That man was the distraction, you took your eyes of them for the second his accomplice needed to grab Summer," Blair said, she walked back into the room when Dan was talking and she had a half asleep Audrey in her arms.

"So what you're saying is that this was planned?" Jenny asked.

"What are you thinking?" Chuck asked his wife knowing that she had this figured out already.

"Of course it was planned little J, how else do you explain five adults taking their eyes of two toddlers long enough for one of them to be kidnapped?" she snapped. "Chuck remember what they told S earlier."

"'You're letting them slip through your fingers too easily'," Chuck quoted. "They were talking about Summer, so they have her as well."

"More leverage, bigger ransom," Blair said.

"So the people who have Nate have Summer as well?" Erik asked catching on and Chuck nodded.

"As long as they don't move them, we can get Summer and Nathaniel back before noon," he told them.

"Let's go find Serena and tell her," Blair said. "God knows she needs some hope."

"We'll keep you updated," Chuck said to his stepmother and walked out with Blair and Audrey. Erik followed them quickly, there was no way he was going to miss this or let his sister stay mad at him any longer, he wanted his niece and brother-in-law back just as much as she did.

"So where is Nate?" Erik asked wincing as he remembered that now his niece was gone as well. "And Summ."

"Not as far away as we first thought," Chuck said and Erik raised an eyebrow. "We were looking for him in a different continent seems they brought him closer to home."

"Home as in our continent or…" Blair asked trailing of and adjusting Audrey in her arms.

"Home as in the outskirts of New York city," Chuck replied with a small smirk.

* * *

><p><strong>AN I know Serena has alot going on with Nate being gone but I had to make her suffer just a little more. I said in the begining im not going to make the story too long so alots gonna happen quickly. I hope I did this chapter justice, there are so many idea's swirling around in my mind about the perfect ending that I kinda need to find a set path and stick to it lol**

**Hopefully I'll have the next chapter up in the next few days so keep reading and looking out for it :)**

**Thank you soooo much to all my reviewers for the amazing response please dont stop I love reading what you think!**

**So I meant to say in the begining of the story which I forgot, the title of this story is from Paramore's song 'Misguided ghosts'**

**Please review and tell me if you liked it or not, until next time (^^,)**


	6. Chapter 6

"Blair we have to talk about this soon, you cannot just say things about me not knowing Audrey enough and not speak to me about it," Chuck says as they sit in the lounge of the van der Bilt house. Serena and Erik are talking in Serena's room and Audrey was fast asleep.

"OK fine, lets talk now Chuck," Blair says.

"What is the problem Blair?" Chuck asks tiredly.

"You have time for everyone else but your daughter," Blair says.

"That is not true and you know it," Chuck argues, he knows he loves Audrey more than anything and he'd drop anything if she needed him.

"Then tell me when last you spent more than half an hour with her," Blair challenged. "If you spent half as much time with her then you did at work I'd be happy."

"I spend time with her all the time Blair," Chuck bites out. "The past few months have been stressful because of the new merge and you know that."

"_I_ know that Chuck but _she_ doesn't, you can't buy her a pretty dress and think it's going to be better," Blair argues and Chuck sighs. "You may be Bart Bass' son but you are not him, we figured that out a long time ago."

"Maybe I can't be any one else," Chuck huffs. "That was the only parent I had, I cannot be a proper father all the time, you have to let me figure it out."

"Figure it out quickly Chuck, she's growing up," Blair says keeping her voice down. "She spends more time with daddy then she does with you. I don't want her to have the kind of relationship most Upper East Side children have with their parents."

"What do you want me to do?" Chuck asks exhausted.

"Make time for her, play a game with her," Blair suggests. "She's going to grow out of us soon, she's going to want to be with her friends more than us, so figure out whatever you need to get past your issues and make time for her before you lose out on it."

"I can't promise anything," Chuck says.

"Then why did you tell me you were ready to be a father?" Blair asks. "If you knew you wouldn't be able to promise anything you should have told me and we could have waited another year or two."

"I was ready Blair and I do love her," Chuck says and Blair looks at him pointedly asking him to tell her what's stopping him from spending more time with his daughter. "I don't know what to do with her, you can take her shopping what do I do? I don't know how to be a father."

"Take her out for ice-cream, Chuck. Learn her favourite colour, ask her about her favourite movie, see how strong she is, how much she knows," Blair says, a smile forming on her lips. "Let her know you're her dad and you're interested in what she's been doing."

"OK, I promise I will," Chuck says and opens his arms for Blair to walk into. "I'm just afraid my influence will mess her up, give her more issues."

"You are a good man Chuck, you won't hurt her by showing her you really do care," Blair says wrapping her arms around his neck and giving him a kiss. "I love you."

"I love you too," he says holding her tighter.

* * *

><p>"I can't take this Erik," Serena whispers roughly, she's sitting in Summer's room, against the bed on the floor with a picture in her hands and her eye's fixed on it as her little brother knelt in front of her.<p>

"We'll get them back S, it's going to be ok," he said softly, he didn't know how his sister was feeling. They found her in the living room, curled up on the sofa in a ball looking exhausted and not all there, broken glass and other items scattered around her, he carefully took her up to her room as Blair and Chuck found Larisa and sorted out the mess she left.

"What if it's not Erik, what if I never get them back," she asks him. "What if something happens to the love of my life and my baby girl, how am I meant to move on from that?"

"Nothing will happen to them, stop being negative," Erik said trying to help her worries but she wasn't listening to him, her attention was fixed back to the picture in her hands. Erik slid closer to his sister so he was sitting next to her and she could lay her head on his shoulder.

"Remember the day Summer was born?" she asked him smiling as they looked at the picture of her and Nate and Summer on her second birthday, they are looking away from the camera laughing at something someone said and Summer is sneakily swiping icing off the cake. "I thought I was going to die and Nate kept telling me I was the strongest person he knew and I could handle anything, I really felt like I could. I wish I could get that back, how can I be the strongest person he knows if I've been so weak through this entire thing."

"You are strong S, this is just a lot to handle," he told her. "You are holding it together, you're being strong for them and you know Nate would tell you that, you held it together for Summer for the past week."

"Summer held us together, Nate and I," she said running her finger over the framed picture, her thoughts seemed to be jumping from memory to memory. "I remember this one moment in hospital the day after she was born, Nate was holding her and she was looking up at him so curiously with those baby blue eyes and she…she held my finger and it felt like she was holding us together, connecting us somehow and the three of us together would survive anything. I don't know if Nate and I would have made it if it wasn't for her."

"Serena I don't think I've ever seen two people made for each other more than you and Nate," he said rubbing her arm and smiling at her memories. "You make mistakes but you're so perfect together and we love that you have that."

"We always created this bubble around us and no-one could reach us and it was safe and fun and it could get me through anything and sometimes I felt like I wanted to run away but he always knew how to pull me back, keep me here," she says so softly Erik has to concentrate on catching her words.

"I'm really sorry Serena, I never meant to take my eye's off her," Erik say and Serena looks at him directly for the first time since they walked back into the Van der Bilt house.

"I know," she says and it surprises him because he was preparing himself for her to throw herself into a fit and scream and maybe even kick him out of her life but she doesn't. "I lost you once when we were kids, I didn't mean to but you were with me one second and when I turned you were gone."

"Wow, I didn't know that," Erik said huffing out a small laugh.

"I found you before anyone knew but I was terrified for the few minutes you decided to leave me for the swings on the opposite side of the playground," she told him shrugging one shoulder. "I don't blame any of you but it hurts that she's gone."

"I'm still sorry," he says and Serena nods before hugging him tightly.

"I think I have to apologise to Chuck, I may have said things to him that I didn't mean," she says and Erik watches her worriedly as she stands and places the picture back on Summer's bedside table.

Erik follows his sister wearily as they walk down the stairs, her face changes every few seconds, she's trying to stay strong and he knows that but she's also very fragile and the smallest of things will set her off. They find Chuck and Blair in the main room without Audrey, they're sitting on the couch close whispering to each other, Serena clears her throat and takes a deep breath before walking up to them.

"I'm so sorry about what I said to you earlier," Serena says to Chuck when he and Blair turn to look at her, she's got her arms wrapped tightly around her body, keeping herself from falling apart and they can tell she wants to be anywhere but where she is and that she's trying as hard as she can to be mature about everything that's happening but part of her just wants to be that teenaged girl that goes out and gets high when she figures things have hit rock bottom.

"It's ok sis," he says. "We all say things we don't mean when we're scared."

Serena nods her head and wipes away the tears that have formed in her eyes. It's all becoming too much for her and Blair knew that if she didn't have to wait for news about Summer or Nate she would have ran already, she wouldn't care about anything or anyone.

"We're going to get them back Serena," Chuck says reaching out to touch her shoulder.

"Yeah we've already launched the attack," Erik says and Serena cringes at the word _attack,_ her daughter was going to be caught in the middle of it.

"Ok so how long until they are back home?" she asks, it's been almost a week since Nate disappeared and a few hours since her baby was taken and her patience is really being tested.

"Soon Serena," Chuck said, his phone in his hand waiting for the call that was taking long to come even in his eyes.

Blair watched Serena chew on her bottom lip, she couldn't imagine what her best friend was going through, if she had lost Chuck she wouldn't be as calm as Serena was trying to be she be going full rage bitch on every person who came near her. If Audrey was taken away from her as well she'd probably have shot someone by now and had to have been pumped with heavy medication. She didn't have the patience Serena did.

"I'm just, I'm going to go to my room," Serena said running her hand though her hair restlessly walking away, her emotionless voice has Blair wanting to follow her but Chuck's got his arm around her keeping her from going to Serena.

"I'm worried," Blair said as soon as she was out of earshot.

"Well you should be I think she's going to lose her mind if we don't do something soon," Erik said as Chuck's phone began to ring.

"Excuse me," Chuck said walking away from them to answer the call.

"Do you think she's going to turn to alcohol or drugs because you know S and what she's capable of when she's stressed, getting intoxicated is like her solution," Blair asked Erik softly.

"I don't know, now that she doesn't even have Summer around her she may just do what she always used to do," Erik says. "If we tell her she's acting like mom did that may help."

Blair smiled and shook her head at Erik, he knew better then to joke at times like these. "I hope your plan works E," she told him, leaning her head on his shoulder.

"Do you think Summer and Nate are going to be ok?" Erik asked softly, he was scared of what might happen to his sister and the rest of his family if his brother in law and niece didn't return.

"If they aren't then we are going to have to find a miracle worker to help Serena," Blair said sadly and he nodded, biting his lip.

"She's speaking about them like they're already dead, like they are memories she doesn't want to let go," Erik said and Blair sighed.

"We just need to pray Chuck can have this sorted out before that becomes a reality," Blair said closing her eyes.

"Get Serena we need to leave now," Chuck said urgently coming to them with a grave look on his face.

"Chuck what happened," Erik asked.

"Don't ask questions just go," he growled and Erik nodded and made his way to his sisters room.

"Chuck, you didn't have to scare the boy, he's scared enough," Blair reprimanded before taking a deep breath. "What happened?"

"Get Larisa to keep an eye on Audrey, we are going to the hospital," he said forcefully making his way outside leaving Blair shocked for a moment before doing exactly what he asked.

* * *

><p><strong>AN I've had Blair be snappy with Chuck when it came to Audrey throughout the story so I thought it was time to explain it and get rid of that problem lol or well make it a work in progress kinda thing and I think I wrote it kinda well tell me what you think**

**Serena is not dealing so well with Summer and Nate being gone so her mind is all over the place and I honestly hope I wrote that well enough because there are so many emotions that come with the losing of a child, not with it dying but being lost and that fear of what if she's in the wrong hands kinda thing so she's everywhere at the moment but I hope you guys enjoyed the memories**

**Blair and Erik have always had this sibling like bond on the show and I missed Erik alot so I thought this would be the perfect place to bring it in**

**So the last chapter was kinda dissapointing in the review section so guys please review it means alot to me :) anyway this chapter leads to the dreaded hospital lol **

**Enjoy and review, until next time (^^,)**


	7. Chapter 7

Everything happened so quickly it was a blur to her, Erik pulling her out of her room and Blair barking orders to Larisa before pulling her into the limo with Chuck who didn't look at them at all. When they finally reached the hospital she found out Nate was there with a gunshot wound to his leg and her mind slipped into overdrive, she was so relieved that her husband was safe but her daughter still wasn't mentioned, Blair promised her that she'd find out were Summer was and sent Serena in the direction of Nate's room.

Serena entered the room Nate was in slowly, she was terrified of what she might find. She took a deep breath when she saw Nate lying on the bed so still with his eyes closed and machines attached to him monitoring his breathing and making sure he didn't die. Serena shook her head when she thought of how close she came to losing him, of the fact that he almost _died._

She swallowed hard as she sat down and took his hand, squeezing it lightly and running her thumb over his wedding ring. She wasn't sure whether he could feel her there, she wasn't paying much attention when the doctor told them if he was responsive to their touch or voices, she just caught the part where he said that Nate would be fine and he lost a little too much blood for their liking.

She closed her eyes and rested her forehead against their joined hands and let the tears fall onto them as she cried at the relief that he was going to be ok and the fact that they hadn't found her baby yet.

"Hey, no crying," he said softly and she abruptly snapped her head up to look at him causing something to crack and her neck to pain but that was all ignored when she looked into his _open_ bleary deep blue eye's. "Come 'ere," he managed to get out as he shifted in the bed to make room for her.

She stared at him for a long moment as she tried to process the fact that he was alive and awake and talking and "Oh God Nate," she said taking his face in her hands and giving him a long and much needed kiss, before slowly getting into the bed with him pressing herself against him, making sure she didn't touch him where he was hurt and relishing the feeling of having him hold her for the first time in such a long time. He chuckled a little and she lightly and half-heartedly hit his chest. "Don't ever think about leaving again," she whispered fiercely against his shirt.

"That hurt," he said pouting holding her as best he could with all the little tubes and wires around and on him, ignoring his sore muscles.

"Oh Nate," she whispered realising that he was hurt (not as bad) on his chest as well.

"I'm so sorry for putting you through that," he said into her hair, ignoring what she just figured out and squeezing her tighter as she buried her face into his neck letting her lips press little kisses to his pulse point. She needed proof that he was there, not her imagination and she needed constant contact with him. "I love you."

"Love you more," she whispered leaning up to run her hand though his hair and look into his tired eyes.

"Where's Summ?" he asked smiling at the thought of seeing his baby again.

"I thought she was with you, but you don't know where she is and she's not here so they still have her," Serena said starting to hyperventilate. "Nate we don't have Summer."

"What do you mean we don't have her?" he asked grasping her arms in an attempt to get her to concentrate, he had no idea where Summer was or what she was talking about. "What happened to her S?"

Serena could see him panicking as she explained what happened that day. "Natie, they don't have our baby," she said tears clouding her eyes. "Blair seems to think Andrew has her with him, but why would he keep her from us?"

"I don't know but I'm sure she's ok," he said wiping her tears and running his hand down her arm. "She has to be ok."

"But Nate she's not _here_," Serena said resting her forehead against his shoulder. "What if she isn't ok? I can't lose her."

"We'll never lose her S, you know I won't let that happen," he promised her, hoping Chuck had some idea of what was going on. He hoped Serena couldn't tell how worried he was becoming because he knew that if Andrew had her she would be taken straight to Chuck not to a safe house, so something else was going on.

"Hey, am I interrupting?" Blair asked with a slight knock to the door.

"No of course not come in," Nate said giving her a smile. Serena pushed herself off the bed and wiped her eyes as Blair came into the room to hug Nate.

"You gave us quite a scare there," she told him taking a seat next to the bed.

"Yeah I know," he said taking Serena's hand again and squeezing it lightly. "Anyone know why?"

"When Chuck's done on the phone he'll probably have some answers," Blair said.

"Tell Chuck to get in here already, I haven't seen him for like months," Nate said smiling at Blair. She knew he was trying to keep the conversation from where Summer was because Serena was next to him holding his hand and trying not to freak out at the fact that the little girl wasn't with them.

"He'll be in soon, Erik's gone home to get Audrey and tell the family the good news so you'll have more then enough visitors to keep you entertained for the next few hours," Blair told them, Nate groaned and Serena giggled at him. Blair smiled, relieved that Serena was getting some of her bubbly-ness back.

"It's probably going to be on the news as well so all those girls that used to swoon over you when Gossip Girl was around are going to be sending flowers and cards for you to get well soon," Serena teased and Nate rolled his eyes. "Oh I hope they send chocolate."

"As long as the two of you remember that you were once one of those girls," Nate smirked. "I expect flowers and cards and chocolates and no Serena you cannot eat them they are all mine."

"If we steal it, it's not like you can catch us," Blair smirked and Nate frowned at them.

"Just wait until I can run again, you'll be sorry you said that," he said mockingly.

"I should let you get some rest," Blair said getting up and giving him a kiss on the cheek. "S, visiting hours are soon, don't tire him out before the annoying attention starts."

"I wouldn't dream of it B," Serena said as Blair walked out of the room.

"You'll really let me suffer when people come in here and ask me if I'm ok like 10 times in 5 minutes?" Nate asked her giving her his puppy dog eyes.

"Yes, don't think that face is going to work, you don't want to share your chocolate with me," she giggled and he pulled her down for a kiss.

"I'm sure Chuck knows what's going on, she'll be fine," Nate said reassuring her, he knew nothing was going to stop her from worrying until she had Summer in her arms but he could try.

"Sleep for a bit, I know you're tired," she told him taking a breath and running her fingers across his cheek.

"I don't want to," he said knowing she was right and he was tired and she smiled.

"But you have to and when I say you do then you do, because I know you better then you know yourself," she told him kissing his lips.

"Oh do you now?" he asked smiling at her smile.

"Yes now stop questioning me and go to sleep," she told him giving him one last lingering kiss before getting of the bed and moving to the couch. "I'll be right here when you get up."

A few hours later Nate had seen his mother and wife's family and was exhausted with all the questions they'd asked. No-one brought up the fact that Summer still wasn't with them and nobody wanted to think about it, Nate knew that Serena felt it when Audrey sat next to him on the bed and started telling him all the stories he missed.

When everyone was gone but the four of them and Audrey, Nate looked up at Chuck, "So what's on your mind?"

"Do you really want to know?" Chuck asked slyly pulling Blair closer to his side and she blushed slightly and rolled her eyes, tapping him lightly on his tummy.

"Not really but seriously I know something's bugging you," Nate said as Serena came to sit on the bed again after giving Audrey her puzzle and setting all the pieces in front of her upright, for easy access.

"I found Summer," he said and Serena looked up smiling until she saw the look on Chuck's face.

"Well where is she?" Serena asked getting nervous about the answer, Nate put his arm around her waist to let her know that he was here and they could take whatever Chuck had to tell them.

"Oh you're going to love this … Tripp has her," Chuck said and Serena's jaw dropped. "That's probably why he didn't come visit you, he was with Andrew's team when they came to get you but he left them as soon as they entered the building."

"How does he even fit into all this?" Blair asked turning to Chuck.

"I honestly don't know, I had a reason and motive and then this happens and I have absolutely no idea how it all ties up," Chuck said glancing over at Audrey when she made a noise as she looked at two pieces of the puzzle that didn't fit together.

"Try another piece sweetie," Blair told her before turning back to Nate and Serena who still looked like they were trying to wrap their heads around the news.

"Did you talk to Tripp?" Nate finally asked, he expected Chuck to tell him a lot of things but this took him completely by surprise.

"Andrew did," Chuck said taking a moment to remember exactly what it was that the ex-congressman said. "He said that you took his life away from him and he's returning the favour."

"He's taken my daughter because Grandfather put me before him once, when he decided to act like a 'problem teenager'," Nate asked completely confused and maybe just a little pissed. "It's not like he's shunned from the family or society."

"Apparently the one time this happened was the most important time Nathaniel," Chuck said shrugging when Nate raised an eyebrow.

"Ok so we know that Tripp has Summer, why are we not storming in there and taking her back?" Serena asked.

"Serena Summer has been through enough, she's never met Andrew before she'd rather be with Tripp, someone she knows instead of being taken by someone she's never met for the second time in one day," Chuck explained. "So I was thinking either you, Blair or I go get her."

"S she's safe for the night, we know where she is and we can monitor it," Blair said. "You and Nate have things to talk about, we'll see you tomorrow," she said sending Serena a pointed look.

"Now really?" Serena asked and Blair shrugged.

"Better now than never," she said, winking in her best friends direction.

"Tomorrow then," Chuck said looking confused as Blair gathered Audrey and her puzzle in her arms and grabbed his arm dragging him away.

"So what was Blair going on about now?" Nate asked as Serena moved off the bed to close the door.

"Nate, we need to talk," she said and he gave her an amused smile.

"Usually when someone hears those words it means that they are getting dumped," he says and she rolls her eyes.

"Ok then I need to tell you something," she said leaning over and kissing him before moving away again, she didn't think this was the appropriate time to be doing this but she promised Blair and herself that she'd tell Nate everything as soon as she had him back. "I don't know how you're going to take the news," she said when she saw the 'what was that for' look on his face.

"Ok now you're scaring me," he said sitting up straighter in his bed he didn't know what else she could tell him that would shock him. "What's wrong?"

Serena shut her eyes tight, "When we first got married and you and I were almost broken up I slept with Dan," she said in a rush, slowly opening her eyes to look at Nate's face, she really hoped he listened to her and didn't kick her out because she had to say things to him, things that he needed to hear.

* * *

><p><strong>AN Ok so that was the hospital scene, I love the feedback I got for the last chapter and I hope you guys give me the same for this one, I have yet to write the end of this story but the next chapter is written and ready for final editing so look out for that coming really soooooon **

**I realy hope you enjoyed this chapter because I missed NS and I couldnt keep them apart any longer **

**I really dont have alot to say which is kinda wierd but it's lat and I'm sleepy so lol sorry**

**Enjoy and review**

**Until next time (^^,)**


	8. Chapter 8

Nate stared at Serena after she spoke, there was so many things wrong with that sentence that he thinks maybe the lack of blood in his body was causing him to imagine Serena saying the craziest of things. He felt like laughing and he did but after a while of nervous laughter and the confused look on Serena's face he shook his head closed his eyes and repeated what she told him in his mind.

"Nate say something," she said and he stared at her blankly, what exactly did she expect him to say?

"That time … you pregnant … and Summer," he said in broken sentences trying to go back to the time in their lives she was talking about.

"She's all yours Nate, there's no question about it, there never has been a question," Serena stressed still waiting for Nate to blow. Now that they knew were Summer was Serena could breath easier, feeling like she was a room away from them.

"So all those times you didn't want me to touch you and whenever we were together Dan would look at you knowingly, you'd turn your face and change the topics, that was because you _slept_ together?" he asked so calmly Serena's tummy did a back flip.

"Yes," she said softly looking down she couldn't look him in the eye.

"And here I thought it was the hormones making you uncomfortable when I was around those times and maybe you had an inside joke with Dan because it's how you are," Nate said more to himself then her. "Wow."

"Nate I didn't mean to do it," she said.

"Really because if you didn't stop him you meant it, Dan wouldn't force you we both know that," Nate said, he was so calm it was freaking her out. They've had fights before and they involved screaming and anger and slamming things and finally when they get everything out of their systems they take a few hours to get away from each other and everything mellows out. "So tell me Serena what was so wrong with us that you had to turn to Dan, again?"

"Everything Nate, do you even remember that time," she asked relieved he was finally directing a question at her.

"Yeah of course I did, it was one of the worst times of my life, you didn't find me sleeping with Vanessa or Blair," he told her raising his eyebrows.

"It wasn't like that Nate, I thought we were going to get a divorce," Serena said and Nate looked at her incredulously.

"So what, you couldn't wait for the papers to be drawn up before you found someone else?" he asked and Serena flinched.

"No, I just wanted to do something to hurt you before you hurt me and I know that was childish and stupid and absolutely no excuse for what I did but Nate you were never around," she said getting close to tears. "He was right there and he offered me an escape for the night and I wasn't thinking and I was being particularly destructive and I'm so sorry."

"Did it not occur to you that I was trying to reign my family together, that I was trying to do everything that I was expected to without burning out, that I truly believed that my wife was ok with being away from me for the month I needed to pull my life together," Nate asked her. "Serena you had to have known that whatever happened we would've made it through, that when I promised you forever I meant it no matter how distant I was?"

"I know ok and it was the stupidest thing I have ever done and I regret it everyday and I wish I could change it but I can't," she said blowing out a breath and keeping the tears from falling.

"So what now Serena, are you going to do something destructive every time you think we are going to split up?" Nate asked.

"No, I've grown up Nate, you know that," she said biting on her lip. "Especially after having Summer and I don't want something that I did then destroy us now, I know I should've told you then or been more mature about things but what's done is done."

"So what does that mean for us now? What does it change now that you told me?" he asks and she stares at him, she expected anger and hurtful words she never expected him to ask her why she was being honest.

"I don't want it to change anything, we are everything I could've ever dreamed of having and I never want to lose it," she said chewing on her thumb nail. "But that's it, it's the only thing that I've done that you don't know about, that's the last secret I have that you needed to know."

"So if Blair didn't push you to tell me would I have known this?" Nate asks and she nods.

"Eventually, it wasn't something I could keep from you for much longer Nate," she told him, shrugging one shoulder.

"I think you should leave," he says looking away and rubbing his face with his hands.

"Nate I'm not leaving you," Serena said looking at him with wide, scared eyes. "I just got you back there is no way I'm going anywhere."

"Serena I cannot be in the same room as you right now," he said looking at her and clenching her jaw.

"Natie," she whispered letting a tear fall.

"I just, I need some time Serena," Nate said softly, he hated it when she cried, he hated when she was that sad even if she deserved to be. "When I was in that room you were what kept me sane, you kept me from losing my mind. I already know I can't survive without you and I don't ever want to be separated from you again but you just told me that you cheated on me, it's kind of a lot to process and it's something I need to think about alone, just for now."

"I'll be right outside," she says pressing her lips together and turning for the door.

"Go home S, get some sleep so you'll be ok to get Summer tomorrow," he says. "Just give me some time to work through this, to forgive you."

Serena nodded and whispered 'ok' before walking out of the room. Nate ran his hands through his hair as soon as she was out of the room trying to figure out what to make of everything that happened that day of everything he's been through and what Serena told him.

He knows he should be angrier at her and Dan and Tripp and his father, he knows he's supposed to want to punch through a wall or Dan right now but he can't bring himself to feel it, all he really wants is for Serena to tell him she hasn't done anything like that after her destructive night and that she won't do anything like that ever again. He wants to get out of this bed and not have a bullet wound paralysing him so he can go over to where ever his cousin is and kick his ass for taking is daughter from him and demand to know what he was thinking.

Everything feels so messed up, he just wants to go back to before he left to help his father when he was lying in bed with Serena in his arms and he was oblivious to her deception, when his baby girl was asleep in the next room perfectly safe, when his father and him were on good terms because he was getting his life together and he knew he was off drugs for a few months at least, he met someone and as much as Nate would have loved his parents to stay together he gave up on that dream a long time ago, finally when Tripp was helping him out with everything Grandfather left him to do and not making his life hell.

"So my sisters outside looking like you've been captured again and I have a vague idea why," Chuck said, Audrey wide awake from her impromptu nap playing on her PSP, earphones plugged into her tiny ears sitting comfortably in Chuck's arms.

"I thought you were gone," Nate said looking up at his best friend and niece.

"Blair thought we should hang around for a bit," Chuck explained taking a seat and placing Audrey in the chair next to him.

"How long has she known?" Nate asked trying to get Audrey's attention but the little girl was so engrossed in her game that she didn't see her uncle waving his arms just in front of her.

"Few days maybe," Chuck said chuckling at Nate's actions. "Serena was good at keeping this from everyone."

"So why are you here?" he asked giving up on trying to get Audrey to look at him.

"If you want me to leave," Chuck said and Nate rolled his eyes as his best friend smirked at him. "There's a comfort session going on outside that I thought I'd not disturb."

"Afraid of Blair if you say the wrong thing?" Nate asked smiling.

"Something like that," Chuck replied. "So she cheated."

"It's Serena, how could I not have seen that coming?" Nate said.

"Because it's Serena and you and no-one could have seen that coming, except maybe Humphrey," Chuck said frowning.

"I should feel angrier or revengeful or something else but I don't, I just want her to come back here and lie next to me," Nate said blowing out a breath.

"I think the loss of blood is affecting you somehow," Chuck said raising an eyebrow at Nate.

"Funny," Nate said dryly. "What's happening with the drug lords? You know why they took Summ because they seemed content with me."

"They were, they knew your dad was getting married and he'd get the money for them but they needed to have some sort of leverage," Chuck said. "They were pretty high on the wanted list so we're letting the authorities deal with them, don't know how much help they will be."

"What about Summer?" Nate asked he knew how he got were he was but he was still fuzzy in why his daughter was there too.

"Tripp paid them of just to take Summ away from Serena so he could take her, make you suffer a little," Chuck said. "Not exactly a fool proof plan but then again look who orchestrated it."

"I think I need to kill Tripp for taking Summer," Nate said. "Serena and I can get through this, we've been through enough but Tripp taking my daughter, that I cannot get over."

"Yes, well as far as I know he's in his apartment with Summer," Chuck informed him. "Maureen and kid are at a holiday resort, I thought she may have been around, I mean we've all seen who the brain in that relationship is."

Nate chuckled and sunk lower on his bed. "So what's the plan to get her back home?"

"I don't think force would be a good idea especially since he has Summer with him," Chuck said. "We have to get something on him."

"Isn't kidnapping enough?" Nate asked.

"Apparently he 'saved' her from the kidnappers," Chuck said rolling his eyes before answering Nate's question. "It would be if he didn't have this," Chuck said handing Nate a letter. "It came a few hours ago, it says that you and Serena are not fit to be parents if she was kidnapped so easily and he is petitioning for custody over her."

"And you think he has a case?" Nate asked incredulously looking at the documents in his hands.

"I think you're the lawyer and you should know but since the lack of blood is causing you to slow down I'll narrow this down for you," Chuck said and Nate raised an amused eyebrow at him from behind the papers. "In the past week, this family has been going through extreme emotional torment not suitable for a two year old."

"Oh yeah, have they looked at every other family in the Upper East Side?" Nate asked annoyed and Chuck shook his head and carried on.

"You haven't been home in two weeks," he said and Nate scoffed. "Serena let Summer be taken care of by her family and she was kidnapped, your dad has a drug problem and Summer is exposed to him. All points held against you and he's sent a message that he's going to start digging up your past, any and all mistakes are going to be used against you."

"All because I have taken grandfathers place in society?" Nate asked.

"Because you have all the power he's meant to have," Chuck reminded him. "You, Nathaniel are a very powerful man, but I don't think even you have the power to stop this from going to court or hitting the media."

"So I should find something that scares him enough to make him drop this?" Nate said and Chuck nodded.

"And cutting him off from the family fortune won't count, he's already got a case and a reporter will be more then happy to talk to him if you do," Chuck said.

"Great, he's like this gnat that doesn't want to stop bugging me," Nate said.

"You don't sound too concerned, do you have a plan?" Chuck asked surprised at how his best friend was taking the news after being hit by so many emotional blows already today.

"I don't know but I think it's time to get some of those things grandfather had kept under lock and key out in the open," Nate said. "And I know just the person who has that and even more against everyone in our family."

"And who exactly would this person be Nathaniel?" Chuck asked as he watched Nate take the phone from the side table and punch in a number.

"Hey mom, I need a favour," Nate said when his mother answered the phone and Chuck laughed watching as Audrey gave her father a confused look from her seat, because of course Anne would be the one to have dirt on everyone that once shunned her and her son from their lives.

* * *

><p><strong>AN Hey guys I'm sooooo sorry about the wait I know I promised a short wait but life gets in the way of posting sometimes, just a warning the next chapter is kind of a hard one to write so you may have to wait a little before it gets out but I promise to try my hardest to get it out soon**

**Ok so I know alot of you were waiting for when Nate finally found out about Serena and I hope I did this justice but if I didnt sorry bout that, I'm glad you enjoyed the NS reunion scene**

**I hope this chapter answered some of your questions!**

**Please dont forget to leave a review and tell me what you guys are thinking I love getting feedback**

**Until next time(^^,)**


	9. Chapter 9

When Nate woke up the next morning he found Serena moving around his room. He lay in bed and watched her for a moment the way her never changing blond waves flowed with her, the way she still chewed relentlessly on her thumb nail when she was stressed or scared, the way her hand rested protectively over her stomach, a habit she still hadn't gotten rid of after Summer was born and the glazed look in her eyes always showed she was deep in thought.

"Hi," she breathed when she realised he was awake. She was keeping her distance as much as it killed her not to be wrapped up in Nate's arms again she knew he needed his space.

"I thought you were going to get Summer today," he said, knowing that she was waiting for some sort of sign from him to say he's ready to accept her mistake and go back to normal.

"Blair's going to call me when they get here," she said, biting on her bottom lip. "Nate about last night…"

"Not now Serena," he said cutting her off. "Just worry about Summer."

"Chuck told me Tripp wants to take her away from us," she said softly, crossing her arms in front of her chest, changing the subject unwillingly.

"He's just doing it to prove he still has power over me," Nate said irritated that he couldn't have seen this coming from his cousin. "He could've done anything, yet he chooses this, he probably can't even remember how to take care of a kid."

"Not _helping_ Nate," Serena warned taking a breath and checking her beeping phone.

"Sorry I just wish I could come with you," he said and she nods and moves closer presses her lips to his.

"I know you need time but I need you to know that I will do everything in my power to make you trust me again and I know that everything I did was of my own stupidity and there's not a day that goes by that I don't feel the guilt if it," she whispers, running her fingers through his hair. "But I love you Nate, so much, nothing will ever change that."

Nate just smiled as she left the room, he could not live without her and as much as it was killing him to not just call her back into the room and kiss her until they were both breathless, he knew he needed just a little more time to get over it before he can be with her and not be bitter about the past.

A lot of the time he thinks that he should have seen it coming but no matter how many times he tells himself that, there's just a piece of him that's asking why he would, after everything they've been through together her cheating should have been the last thing that was supposed to happen.

* * *

><p>Serena held onto Blair's hand as they made their way to Tripp's house, Chuck's guys were watching the house so there was no way Tripp could have smuggled Summer out without them knowing. Audrey was at the Serena and Nate's place with Larisa, Erik was going to go over to keep an eye on her as well. Anne sat with her sons three best friends staring out the window she wasn't sure what she could say to Tripp to get him to let go of her granddaughter and stop whatever other scheme's he had planned out.<p>

As they approached the house, Serena felt an odd sense of déjà vu it was like walking up to Howard Archibald's holding house to speak to Nate's kidnappers.

"Aunt Anne?" Tripp asked shocked as the older woman walked into his house sending one of Chuck's guys to hold him, keeping him from escaping or hurting them.

"What is going on in here?" Anne asked looking around the room almost tripping over a ball on the floor. Everything was everywhere, books and food and pillows and clothes on the floor and chairs tipped over and Tripp standing in the middle of the wreckage looking exhausted and a little helpless.

"Oh my God, what happened?" Blair asked covering her mouth as she and Serena entered the house, Chuck was outside talking to the men who were watching the house. Serena was too shocked at the condition of the place to say anything.

"You have raised a monster," Tripp finally said looking at Serena who stared blankly at him.

"Tripp, if you're referring to my granddaughter that's impossible, Summer is exactly how Nate was at that age," Anne said staring bewildered at her nephew. "_Quiet_ and _calm_."

"Then there is no way in hell we're talking about the same child," Tripp said as Serena called out for Summer walking around.

"Quit screaming she's asleep," Tripp said. "Please don't wake her up."

"My daughter Tripp, I can handle her," Serena said irritated, walking toward the bedrooms.

"What exactly did you want to achieve by kidnapping the child?" Anne asked her nephew incredulously, Blair pressed her lips together and tried not to laugh as she pictured how Summer made Tripp run the night before.

"I thought maybe I could get Nate to give me back what was rightfully mine in exchange for his daughter," Tripp said trying to get out of the other mans grasp.

"Oh I don't think even Nate is stupid enough to give you any of that responsibility unless it was the last resort," Blair said smirking.

"He loves that kid more than he loves the van der Bilt empire, it was a good bet," Tripp said rubbing his eyes with the hand he managed to get free.

"Well of course he does, that's his daughter," Anne snapped at him. "How did you even get her?"

"Paid off the people who had Nate, wasn't hard to find them after talking to your ex-husband when Chuck found their location," he told his Aunt smugly. "I thought she'd be a breeze to have around the house for a few hours until Nate came around and gave me what I wanted, turns out I kidnapped a tornado."

"I still don't believe Summer is that much of a terror," Blair said shaking her head.

"What were you planning on doing today anyway?" Tripp asked. "You know I could take my case to the courts now, have my lawyer make a good case, you can't stop me from ruining this family."

"And _you_ know I could easily bring you down, with the amount of things you have done you make Howard look like a saint," Anne said and Tripp frowned. "But I'll hold back on all the personal details of your pathetic life because I've recorded this conversation and I can counter anything your lawyer says."

"My father will be hearing about this," Tripp said narrowing his eyes at the small recorder in his Aunts hand.

"Unless my brother wants me to give him a list of crimes he has committed in the past few decades I'd hold back on that threat," Anne said and Tripp paled. "Now we're going to leave you to clean up this mess before your wife gets back, next time maybe you should leave the scheming to her."

Blair bit down on her lip to keep herself from laughing as Anne walked out the door. Chuck came in a moment later and surveyed the mess.

"What happened here?" he asked looking around.

"Summer did," Blair said and Chuck raised an eyebrow. "I know I'm proud of her too."

Serena walked back into the main room a few minutes after with a sound asleep Summer in her hands, Serena's eye's were a little red and her lips were tilted up in a smile as she cradled the two year old child. "Let's go see Nate," she said softly.

Serena turned to Tripp and glared at him one last time before walking out of the house. "That was interesting," Blair said. "I expected bloodshed and screaming."

"Sometimes it just takes a few questions and a voice recorder," Anne said with a smile. "And someone as gullible as Tripp to start telling us everything he did."

"Too bad we didn't get to lock him up," Chuck said.

"I think whatever Maureen does when she finds out will be more then enough to make him suffer," Blair said and nudged her best friend happy to have her smiling again after her week of hell. Serena nudged her back and drew Summer closer to her pressing her face into the toddlers hair.

Summer opened her eyes sleepily as they were entering Nate's room, "Hey look who's back Summ and he's never leaving us again," Serena said smiling at Nate who nodded and smiled back before looking at his two year old.

"Finally I was scared something happened, she's still asleep," Nate laughed as he took the smiling child from his wife. "Hey aren't you happy to see me?" he asked bouncing Summer a little, she nodded and buried her tiny face in her father's chest sighing comfortably.

"Dadadada," Summer mumbled yawning .

"Didn't she sleep at all?" Nate asked raising an eyebrow.

Serena shrugged before telling Nate the entire story, "I think Tripp may have underestimated the power of junk food on a two year old because she kinda wrecked the place."

"That's my girl," Nate said laughing at the story.

"I hope those tantrums don't continue, I don't know if I could handle it any more than Tripp did," Serena said.

"Well you won't be doing it alone, so that's a plus point," Nate said kissing Summers head.

"So everything is …?" Serena asked trailing of and biting her lip nervously.

"Perfectly fine, whatever happened is in the past and we have to move past it," Nate said smiling at Serena's smile. "We have a lot to be thankful for so maybe we can just focus on that and …."

He was cut of by Serena's lips crashing on his. "God you don't want to know how scared I was that you'd never forgive me."

"It's kinda a lot to get over S," he said as he grasped her hand tightly pressing his lips to hers again. "But I don't want to mess up something as precious as this."

"Hey," Anne said softly knocking on the door.

"Hey mom," Nate said smiling. "Thank you for everything."

"Anything for you honey, you know that," Anne said and Nate smiled, his relationship with his mother became so strong especially after he changed his name.

"I just came to tell you that I spoke to the doctor and there's nothing else they can do for you here," she said. "They just need you to go for physio and check ups every week until your leg is completely healed but you can go home."

"That's awesome," Nate said beaming and Serena smiled as she stood up.

"I'll go sign the release papers and then we can get going," Serena said. "Thanks again Anne."

Anne nodded and touched her daughter-in-law's arm as she walked past before placing kisses on her granddaughter and son's heads and letting out a breath of relief that they were both safe and going back home.

* * *

><p>"It's been a month, don't you think little miss Sunshine over here should go sleep in her own room tonight?" Nate asked as he limped into his room to find his two favourite girls in bed talking.<p>

"No," Summer said shaking her head and smiling up at him as he flopped down next to them.

"No? Well if you don't sleep in your room then how are you can't stay with Audrey tomorrow," Nate said making a shocked face as Summer opened her eyes wide.

"Come here Summ," Serena said gathering her daughter up. "Daddy's just being all grumpy tonight."

Summer and Nate both frowned. "Daddy's not being grumpy," Nate said pouting at her and Summer copied his look.

Serena giggled at the two of them with their matching faces, "Sleep here," Summer said looking at Nate.

Nate caved when he looked at her puppy eye's, he picked her up and held her above his head bringing their faces close enough for him to touch his nose to hers. "Fine but only because you're my favourite daughter," Nate said to the giggling girl.

"You may not be able to make those promises for too much longer," Serena said and Nate turned his head to her so fast he almost lost his grip on Summer. "Whoa, don't drop her," Serena said reaching up to take Summer from her husband, her smile unwavering.

"What do you mean I may not be able to make those promises for too much longer?" Nate asked shocked, a smile creeping onto his face too.

"Well, unless it's a boy," she whispered like it was a secret and Summer looked from her father to her mother confused.

"Seriously?" Nate asked confirming it again.

"Seriously," Serena said giggling. "I went to the doctor this morning because I wasn't feeling too good remember?"

"Summ guess what," Nate said bending down to tickle her tummy. "You're going to be a big sister."

"Big," Summer said throwing her arms up making her parents laugh.

"I love you," Nate whispered leaning over to kiss Serena.

"I love you too," she said softly placing her hand over his cheek for a second and smiling before they both went back to playing with their daughter.

* * *

><p><strong>AN side note, I made up a lot of things in the last chapter and this one (legal stuffies and other) so sorry if its incorrect lol that's just my imagination working…**

**And this is the end of 'Misguided Ghosts' well there is one last chapter but thats the epilouge and its soooooo close to being done, I finished this chapter much faster then I thought I would and I'm pretty happy with it**

**I kinda didnt want a huge fight so we have Anne being the genius mastermind we all know the producers wont let her be lol I mean she had to have learnt a thing or two from her father, I think maybe they have something against the Archibalds, even Nate is like fading, I hope season 5 brings him back out full force coz I really really miss him lol**

**Hope you guys are happy with this, it was just a random idea that went from one shot to 10 chapters hehe so please review and tell me what you thought, life's kinda hectic with the rush of handing in my not done yet assignments, I should stop leaving things for the last minute**

**Anyway until next time guys (^^,)**


	10. Chapter 10

"I can't believe you mom, you're ruining my life," Summer screamed slamming her bedroom door shut.

"Summer Charlotte van der Bilt get your tiny butt down here right now," Serena screamed from the bottom of the stairs of her house.

"Oooooh mommy used your full name now you're in trouble," the blond little girl encased in Serena's arms called out to Summer.

"What's going on here?" Nate asked walking over to his wife with an eyebrow raised.

"Summer wants to go to a party tonight and we're going to Blair's for that charity thing she's hosting and it's important to her and Summer just doesn't want to listen to anything I have to say to her," Serena fumed handing over the little girl to him and huffing out a breath.

"S you remember what we were like at that age, we hated going to those charity events," Nate said bouncing the giggling child in his arms making her blond curls bounce with her.

"Why can't she just listen to me and come to this thing, there will be plenty of party's for her to go to later," Serena said running her hands through her hair.

"Mom she's a twelve year old brat with one guy in mind, Sam Baizen," a boy around nine said turning away from his game and widening his blue eye's to emphasize the name he just said.

"Liam don't call your sister a brat," Nate said lazily like he'd said it too many times before, Liam just shrugged and went back to focusing on winning his game. "Wait she likes Baizens kid? Looks like the apple really doesn't fall too far from the tree."

Serena stopped being angry with her daughter for a second and turned to her husband and narrowed her eyes, "I will wipe that smirk of your face if you don't get _your_ first born to her godmother's party."

"Why me?" Nate asked whining. "You're the one that made her angry."

"Because she's a total daddy's girl and she's angry with me," Serena said. "Pleeeeeeease," she begged making a face that she knew he couldn't resist.

"Fine but if I don't come down in half an hour then you have to tell my mom I love her ok?" Nate said so over dramatically that even Liam laughed at his father.

"Whatever you say," Serena said putting her arms out to take her youngest from Nate. "Come here Mel, you won't give mommy problems when you get to Summer's age will you?"

"Melinda's a good girl babe but she is named after the queen of tantrums," Nate said and Serena scrunched her nose up at their daughters middle name.

"Aunty Blair's a queen?" Melinda asked raising her eyebrows.

"She likes to think so," Nate said smiling at her. "Summer was a good girl at five though S."

"No Summer was a good girl at two and then Tripp took her away from us and she turned into a devil," Serena said.

"Stop over-reacting, I'm going up there, wish me luck," Nate said and Serena pecked him on the cheek.

"G'luck daddy," Melinda said resting her head on Serena's shoulder.

"Thanks baby," he said pinching her cheek, dramatically taking a breath as he turned for the stairs.

"Don't forget dad, grounding her for a really long time always helps," Liam called after Nate. "Oh and threatening her inheritance!"

Nate shook his head and walked to his daughters room, he took a deep breath and knocked on the door, "Knock, knock," he said softly opening the door slightly and peaking in to make sure she was half naked or something.

Summer lay on her bed, her back to the door and her long hair over her face, "Great mom sent in the big guns," she said sarcastically taking her pillow and covering her face.

"Mom didn't have to send me, you slammed the door remember?" Nate asked gently as he lay down on her bed next to her.

"She just makes me so angry sometimes, I just want to go out and have fun, everyone from school is going to be at that party!" Summer said sitting up and pushing her long hair out of her face.

"Even Audrey?" Nate asked smirking slightly.

Summer let out a deep breath, "If she can sneak out without the twins telling on her then yes, even Audrey."

"What makes you think I won't tell Chuck, he won't let her out of his sight, not to mention Blair would go crazy if she knew what her daughter was planning on doing," Nate said picking up one of Summers teddy bears.

"Dad no you wouldn't!" Summer half screamed as she turned to look at him with wide eye's.

"Only if you promise that you will behave and come to this thing with us tonight, you will wear a pretty dress that I approve of," he said and she rolled her eye's because they both know she'll get away with wearing something he didn't like as well. "And you will smile at the guests waiting to see you and you will be happy you are not Liam because your grandmother wants to introduce him to some 'important' people tonight as William Charles van der Bilt, heir to the throne."

"He hate's those boring conversations and when those old ladies pinch his cheeks," Summer said laughing and Nate pulled her in for a hug.

"Just make your mother happy and I'll get you and Audrey out by 11, after all that's when a party really begins," he said nudging her. "Curfew is at half twelve so don't push it otherwise I'm coming to look for both of you got it?"

"You're the best daddy, I love you," she said squeezing him tighter, one and a half hours wasn't a long time but she'd take what she could get.

"Love you too but don't make me regret it," he told her kissing her head. "You have too much of your mother in you not to get into trouble but I'm hoping you keep your old father in your mind."

Summer giggled and nodded. "Mom couldn't have been that bad," she said and Nate took a deep breath thinking about how much she looks like Serena did at twelve.

"Maybe someday when you're ready for it I will tell you the story about the 'non-judging breakfast club'," he told her smiling at all the memories they shared.

"Isn't that a movie?" she asked reaching for the teddy he was holding.

"I think so, your Aunt Blair is the mastermind behind the names, we just go with it," he said ruffling up her hair.

"Dad, that's another half an hour of dressing up," she said scowling, trying to set her hair straight.

"You will be ready at the time I want you to be or Chuck and I will totally keep you and Aud from going anywhere," Nate told her wiggling his eyebrows as she grunted. "That's not very ladylike."

"Daddy I'm twelve," she huffed. "I'm allowed to be un-ladylike sometimes."

"Just be happy Grandmother Anne didn't bring you up, you'd be a robot by now," he said and she laughed. "I'm serious! Any chance of making up with your mother before we leave?"

"Maybe," she said scrunching up her nose and narrowing her eyes at him.

"Make that maybe a definitely," he said kissing her forehead. "See you downstairs."

"Dad?" she called and he turned to look at her expectantly. "Why is mom so hard on me? I mean you know she'd let Liam go out or even Mel."

"Honey, Mel's 5," Nate said and Summer laughed. "Liam's parties are mainly playing video games, it's your crazy parties that we know too much about and that's why she get's nervous every time you want to go."

"But Aunt Blair is worse and she isn't so hard on Aud daddy," Summer told him rolling her eyes.

"When you were two you were kidnapped you know that and that was the worst time of our lives, especially your mothers," Nate said going to sit next to her on the bed again. "She's just so afraid of losing you that letting you go out alone like this scares her to death."

"It's been 10 years," Summer argued putting her hands on her face and flopping backward onto the bed.

"It doesn't change the fact that for the day you went missing we thought we would never see you again," Nate said craning his head to look at his daughter. "She loves you, don't think she'd do more for Lee or Mel just coz she's a little more afraid of losing you."

Summer nodded and Nate left her thinking about what he said before going back downstairs. Liam was teaching Melinda how to play some princess game and Serena was in the kitchen. When he walked into the kitchen Serena raised an eyebrow and handed him a cup of coffee. "So what did our darling angel have to say?" Serena asked with a tiny smile moving closer to Nate.

"She just wanted to know why you didn't want to let her go, why you hold on so tight," he told her wrapping an arm around her waist and pulling her close.

"Sometimes it feels like someone will just reach out and grab her and she'll be gone forever," Serena said reaching out her arm to emphasize her point.

"And sometimes you kinda need to let her go," Nate said taking a sip of coffee. "It's been years and Tripp knows that if he even tries to do anything we have the means to shatter him."

"That should be enough but somehow I can't stop worrying," she said looking up at him.

Nate smiled, "It's all that maternal instincts I keep hearing about, they make you paranoid."

Serena gasped at him and swatted his tummy with her hand. "Says the guy who has not one but three people follow your kids around to keep them safe."

"Chuck and I are just being safe," he said leaning down to kiss her before she could say anything else.

"Eew mom, dad, really," Summer said blocking her eyes when she ran into the kitchen. Nate and Serena giggled as they turned to face their daughter.

"Hey Summ," Nate said straightening up, squeezing Serena quickly and nudging Summer on his way out of the kitchen to see what his younger two kids were up to.

Serena watched him go then turned to her twelve year old with a smile on her face. "You just checked dad out didn't you?"

"Well he still looks as good as he did at the Sheppard wedding," Serena said with a sly smile on her face and Summer made a gagging noise.

"I'm not even going to ask what that is," she said and crossed her arms. Serena pressed her lips together to hide her smile and waited for the younger girl to say something else. "So I'm sorry for slamming the door," Summer said slowly and unwillingly she hated admitting she was wrong, turning her face to meet her mom's eyes.

Serena smiled and nodded. "Anything else?" she asked.

"And I'll come tonight and be the perfect daughter," she said and Serena nodded again still waiting. Summer held her mom's gaze a few more seconds before she began to laugh and ran into Serena's open arms.

"I don't need you to be perfect baby, I just need you to be there," Serena said and put her arms around her first born and sighed, bending down to kiss the crown of Summers head. "I love you sweet cheeks," Serena said cheekily and Summer scowled at the name. "None of those faces tonight," Serena warned and Summer nodded smiling widely.

"None of those names tonight," Summer retorted giggling as Serena narrowed her eye's. "Love you too mommy."

Serena squeezed her daughter one more time before they made their way out of the kitchen to find Nate and Liam arguing over what toppings to put on the princess cake in the game Melinda was supposed to be playing, Mel sat between them curled against her father giggling at the boys. Summer rolled her eyes and Serena shook her head as they made their way over to them, Summer jumped onto Liam's lap causing him to turn his attention from his father to his sister and Serena bent down to wrap her arms around Nate's neck as Melinda jumped from Nate's lap to Summers making Liam complain even more.

Serena laughed before pressing her lips to Nate's quickly, thinking about how close she came too losing them all those years ago and remembering that she got them back and she didn't mess them up like she was afraid she would. Sometimes through all the mistakes, life turns out pretty good.

* * *

><p><strong>AN Guys this is my 10th complete story! Exciting stuff hehe**

**So this is the end of Misguided Ghosts, thank you so much to everyone who reviewed, alerted, favorited or even just read the story it was appreciated, to the reviewers thank you for taking the time to tell me what you think and whether you liked what I wrote or not**

**I am going to write more NS in the future, I cant get enough of them even though sometimes insperation does run really low...I was thinking from this story I was gonna do a family kinda thing with NS and Summer through the years tell me what you guys think, or if you have any other suggesions I'm open to them!**

**I hope I get to talk to you guys again soon but until then review or pm me and tell me what you think**

**Until next time (^^,)**


End file.
